It recently occurred to me that I don’t often mention books here, which is kind of weird, since I am pretty fond of them. I’m almost as fond of them, in fact, as I am of food, which is saying quite a bit. Then again, I have an almost pathologically bad memory for plot, so I’m not sure what I would say about books anyway. The other day, I was talking with a friend about Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, which I read a few weeks ago and loved dearly, and I realized that, aside from a scene about the main character’s grandmother removing her bra and flower petals falling from its cups, I could hardly remember a thing about it. It’s sad.

So before I forget the details of my most recent read, the lovely memoir The Tenth Muse, by renowned editor Judith Jones, I wanted to be sure to tell you about it. Not only because it was lovely, and lovely really is the word for it, but because it gives a glimpse into a seminal time in cookbook publishing. (Jones helped launch the careers of Julia Child, Madhur Jaffrey, Marcella Hazan, and lots of other people whose names, go figure, I now can’t remember.) Also, it inspired me to make céleri rémoulade, which I hope I don’t forget about anytime soon. Or ever.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you may remember that I have a thing for celery root. It’s sort of the Philip Seymour Hoffman of vegetables: pale and a little scruffy, not exactly handsome by common definitions, but rippling, rippling, with integrity and talent. Vegetables can have integrity, right? And talent? I hope so, or else I’m going to have to find a new analogy, and that could take a while.

Most of the time, when I buy celery root, I use it only for soup. But for a while now, I’ve been thinking about céleri rémoulade, a salad composed of julienned celery root tossed in a mayonnaise-based dressing. It’s a fairly common, old fashioned thing in France, where it can be purchased ready-made at almost any grocery store and is often served as a starter in very traditional restaurants, alongside salads of grated carrot or cubed beets. I never felt particularly excited about it when I lived there, to tell you the truth. It always seemed sort of lifeless and fusty, like the smell of the canned green beans that my childhood babysitter Virginia used to boil into oblivion. But in recent years, ever since I started using celery root in my own kitchen, I’ve wondered often about old céleri rémoulade, and about how delicious it might be, especially if made with homemade mayonnaise. So when Judith Jones mentioned it in her memoir, even going so far as to include her recipe, I decided that it was time to try.

I apologize for not having a prettier photograph to show you, but Brandon and I made the céleri rémoulade for a New Year’s Eve dinner party at our friend Olaiya’s house, and when I took this picture, it was long past dark and I was wearing my new party dress and had had two small crab cakes and two glasses of champagne, which, in my person, is not enough food to counter the powerful effects of champagne, one of which is to make me turn on the flash and take awkward pictures of everything, including the old pair of black heels I was wearing.

Also, céleri rémoulade is not an attractive dish, so I’m not even sure that a prettier photograph was possible.Prettiness is not what it’s about. It’s about the clean, fragrant crunch of celery root, and the alchemy of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. It is wonderfully creamy, yes, and somewhat rich, but its flavor is light, bright, even hungry-making, a perfect start to a meal. We all had second helpings, even though there was more food coming, and I cursed myself for having waited so long to try it in the first place. Don’t make the same mistake. We served ours as part of a trio of salads, along with a carrot one and a lentil one with fennel. We then moved on to a cream of scallop soup that, despite its total snore of a name, is one of the most delicious things I ate in 2008. I’ll tell you about that next week. (And no, for the record, I am not pregnant in the photograph above. Or in real life. It’s just a poof in my dress.)

And while we’re on the topic of books, I’m so happy today to show you the cover of mine! I’ve been wanting to share it with you, but I had to wait until it was 100% finalized, and that took a little while.

If you recognize the image, it’s because it appeared in this long-ago post about our honeymoon. I took it in Brentwood Bay, BC, at a sweet little spot called the Boathouse, where we stared at giant purple starfish under the dock and I tried to wrap my head around the fact that I was somehow a married woman. At the time, the book was still deep in gestation, and I had no idea that those mugs, and those glasses, and that dreamy greenish cabinet would ever go anywhere but into my camera and, possibly, onto this site. This life of mine has been very surprising.

The book comes out in less than two months now, on March 3. You can read more about it here, and you can order it, if you feel so moved, at any number of places, like this one or this one or one of these. I’m thrilled to say that I will be doing a tour, visiting a handful of cities for readings and signings and whatnot, and hopefully, I’ll get to meet(!) many of you. When the time gets a little closer and I have more details to share, I’ll let you know. I can’t wait.

First, prepare the celery root. To peel it, use a sharp vegetable peeler or chef’s knife to trim away the dirty outer “skin.” One end may be especially hairy-looking: you’ll want to use the knife to trim it clean.

Next, julienne the celery root. If you have a food processor with a julienne attachment – not a shredding attachment; that’s not quite right – try using that. That’s the easiest way to julienne. Or, if you have a mandoline with a julienne attachment, you can try doing it that way. However, keep in mind that celery roots are very dense and hard, which could make using the mandoline a bit dangerous. Instead, you might want to julienne by hand, with a sharp knife. To do so, cut the celery root in half. Position one half on its flat side, so that it is steady, and cut it into very thin slices. Then lay those slices flat on the cutting board, stacking them if you like, and cut them into matchsticks. Repeat with the remaining half. It’s a tedious process, to say the very least, but it’s worth it.

In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, yogurt, and a pinch of salt. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Add the julienned celery root, and toss to mix. Taste, and adjust seasoning again as necessary. We found that ours needed a little bit of lemon juice (about ¼ teaspoon) and a pinch of sugar, as well as more salt.

Chill until serving. Judith Jones recommends making this salad a few hours ahead of serving, so that the flavors can develop, but we liked it best shortly after it was made, when the celery root was at its most crisp and crunchy.

Comments

I have a fantastic love of celery root. I adore your ‘talent and integrity’ imagery, so the likeness certainly works as far as I’m concerned. I can’t even remember when I fell in love with it exactly, or how I first decided to take the plunge and expose myself to that odd nubby root, but it has been a fast and furious affair.Only now they are crazy expensive. which makes me very sad. because they are delicious and healthy for you. And now I want to try this new recipe, but first I want the celery root at my local grocer to cost less than the steak.

1. ok, sounds good, especially with O’s fennel salad 2. a book tour? how very grown up. (and congratulations!) 3. every time you post about eating with Olaiya, especially with pictures, I get a little heartsick. I wish I had been there.

A lovely book cover. I design the insides of books, and it really hurts when the covers don’t work. So glad you got a nice one. Would love to meet you if there is a New York leg of the tour. Just requested the book from the library, thanks!

My most heart-felt congratulations on accomplishing something most of us only dream of doing. And you get a book tour, as well? Bonus!Your book cover makes me want to curl up with a nice cup of Pike’s Market Spice tea.Celery root sounds like the perfect escape from my holiday chocolate binges.

O’ beauteous! The silver spoon complements the simplicity of the celery root. Love your timely reference to P.S.H.–so sublime a player. Speaking of falling in love: your cooking and writing have truly been inspirational. Congratulations on your cookbook–lovely and meaningful cover–will “wish list” for sure. Luck and happiness to you in 2009.

I was just at Powell’s with Judith’s ‘Tenth Muse’ in my hand. On the way to the counter something pulled me back from it, and I ended up opting for M.F.K. Fisher’s ‘The Alphabet for Gourmets.’ But The Muse is now second on my to-read list! Excited to meet you Sunday 🙂

Molly, that’s wonderful! The release date is also the day right before my birthday, so maybe I’ll order myself a copy as a present to myself!As for the celery root, I recently got to try it for the first time at the Rain City Grill in Vancouver BC, braised(!), with pork belly(!), and it pretty much blew my mind. I really want to try this rémoulade!

You almost make we want to try celery root. Almost. I will read the Judith Jones book though. I’m assuming you’ve read Amanda Hesser’s “Cooking for Mr. Latte”? One of my favorite memoirs based around food.

I was just a few hours ago wondering why the Tenth Muse has been sitting on my bookshelf unread for so very long. I suppose that this may be the sign that it’s now time to finally pick it up?Congratulations on the book – it’s a lovely cover!

Am I the only one who’s going to say what everyone thinks? CUTE SHOES!!!And now, as for the book tour and the wonderful book itself, I do hope it will come to Malaysia! And you too. Will you? Pretty please? 🙂As for celery, I’m not quite convinced yet. You see, I have a thing against celery…..i know, childhood issues!

Céleri rémoulade is so perfect this time of year when the lettuce – at least here in NY – is so dreary and limp. My copy of your book has been on order forever, and I am looking forward to the March day when it arrives. It hadn’t even occurred to me you would be doing a tour, so now I have something else to look forward to.Happy New Year!

I’m a big time celery root fan as well and the remoulade is one of my go to winter salads.I love the book cover – it looks lovely! Congratulations and thanks for the tips on other reads – I’ve been wanting to pick up the tenth muse.

i think this is my favorite photo of yours yet…the table with the candlesi am smitten (only recently) by celery root so this is cause for me to brave the market todayeager to get both books…particularly yours. yes…very lovely cover.

That’s so funny, I have the opposite problem with books – I can’t remember titles or authors but the plots stick with me. Hm. YOUR book, by the way, looks wonderful! I can’t wait to read it, and I hope you make it to Boston on your tour, you lucky girl!

Now I am officially not a lurker anymore.I think the salad sounds delicious.Congratulations on the book. I am looking forward to reading it. 🙂 Any chance you will be stopping in Eastern Pennsylvania on your book tour?Best of luck to you and your husband with “Delancey”. LOVE the name. 🙂

Judith Jones got me into the kitchen too — I made that frenchified meat loaf thing — a cross between country pate and meat loaf from that wonderful chapter when she’s a wild young thing in Paris (oh to run a private supper club!). It’s great, especially with pickles. And I bet with celeri remoulade as well.

I also loved The Tenth Muse. My grandmother gave me a copy for Christmas last year and I read it immediately. It made me want to make croquettes (which I haven’t gotten around to yet). I will also have to try the celery remoulade.Congrats on the book! – can’t wait to read it.

wow, its only you, that will make me want to try something like celery root! honestly, i dont think i would give it a second look if it werent for this post.Congrats on the book and tour! Im planning to order your book very soon 🙂

Oh Molly, how I love your site. This is my first time commenting but I just had to come out and say it…you’re such an inspiration! I added your book to my wishlist on amazon just 2 days ago, and can’t wait to read it cover to cover.On celery root…divine. We mash it together with potatoes for a different take on a classic favorite. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I can’t wait to expand my celery root horizons!

Good morning, everyone! You are so good to me. I hope this first week of 2009 is off to a good start for you.I just wanted to add one more thing that I forgot to mention in the recipe: Judith Jones’s remoulade is somewhat unconventional, in that it uses a bit of plain yogurt. That’s part of what drew me to it, the thought of that yogurty tang. And sure enough, it’s a wonderful addition: just a little tanginess to wake up and lighten up the mayonnaise and the mustard. I think it’s a crucial part of what makes this particular recipe such a keeper.

I love celery root, as well. One of my proudest culinary accomplishments was getting my friend’s 9 year old son to eat some. I didn’t even try to trick him into thinking it was mashed potatoes. It warmed my heart!

Oh I’m excited to try this recipe. I love to include celery root in my mashed potatoes—all mashed together. And I’ve made a wonderful soup (Caldo Gallego, from the book Twelve Months of Monastery Soups, by Victor D’Avila-Latourrette) which includes cubed celery root and is fantastic. Another note: a friend who regularly began reading your blog on my recommendation showed up to our New Year’s Eve party with your Boozy Cake. It was great!Happy New Year, Molly!

How I love Celery Root! But I think it so often gets over looked, like parsnips and sunchokes. It’s rough and rugged appearance gives it a bad rap. Poor Celery Root!I read your blog regularly and enjoy so so much! Thanks for all your great thoughts!

Wonderful post, thanks!I love how the food blogging community and food world in general seems to be so attuned to one another…The Tenth Muse is my bedside table as my next book to read, but I’m not even surprised by the coincidences anymore! Instead I’ve begun to think coincidences are a way of letting you know you’re going down the right path…I’m supposed to be reading your blog and this book and immersing myself in foodstuff as I so love to do!Thanks for the sign! 😉Now I will have to try celery root one of these days very soon!

Oh – almost forgot! Your book cover is gorgeous and I am so excited for the day it’s in my hands!!I work at a pub. co. and it’s not often the author gets to use one of her own photographs for the cover! Congratulations!!

Persepolis is a great book, but the movie is also very worthwhile, and the images may stick with you longer. I watched it in the theatre with several Persians who all agreed it was very true. They all seem to have a large number of shared memories.

Although I cook from your site regularly, I probably only comment once a year, so maybe it’s a bit early for me to post but . . . whatever. I always thought you were a kindred spirit– a western Washingtonian with an abandoned grad degree, a keen interest in cute footwear and a fondness for humble root crops– but now I KNOW you are. I studied English lit., but I’ve never been able to keep track of piddling things like plot. I’m the worst with character names. Even as I’m reading a book, I realize that I can’t talk about it because I *recognize* the characters but don’t really remember what they’re called.As usual with my yearly posts, I want to tell you how nice it is to read your prose, in which you give mundane minutia a literary twist without falling into the nauseating self-aggrandizement that has long made blogs a cultural laughing stock. Way to talk about your life in an attractive and engaging way without descending into flagrant narcissism!

That’s a <>beautiful<> book cover, and one of your own photos, no less! I’m very impressed, because a good cover isn’t always easy to achieve. Congrats, and I hope you can make it up to Ottawa/Toronto/Montreal on your book tour for some of your central-Canadian fans!

Celery root remoulade is one of those foods that instantly brings me back to France in one bite. Just reading about it makes me long for a picnic lunch of charcuterie treats and a baguette. Looking forward to the book!

Mm. I read that book, too, a while back and loved it. Of course, I too tend to forget what I have read between the time I close the back flap and slide the book onto a shelf. But I am very excited about YOUR book, and thrilled to see the cover because it IS so dreamy and lovely to look at. And I should mention that when I received a bookstore gift card for Christmas, I said (and I quote), “I will hold this until springtime when Orangette’s book is released.” As for celery root, well, whatever…

How very exciting. If I were to judge your book just by it’s cover, I would say that it looks absolutely lovely and inspiring! I can’t wait to read what’s inside! Congratulations! All of your hard work has paid off!

i love when you talk about books, molly and i’m glad i’m not the only one who forgets the plot. i tend to remember how the book made me feel or what season it was when i read it or if it had beautiful language. oh persepolis. such a good book. tenth muse looks great, too. she’s a vermonter i believe. counting down the days til march. xo

The bookcover is nice. Can’t wait to buy it. We honeymooned on Vancouver Island, also… starting in Victoria and making our way the east coast, eventually to < HREF="http://nwcheapsleeps.org/?p=60" REL="nofollow"> Quadra Island.<> I could spend weeks more doing just that.

My husband makes a celery-root and radicchio salad that is just lovely as well. This reminded me of it, so now I will have to beg for him to make it again. Any chance in the tour coming to the oh-so-distant north of Vancouver, BC?

The cover of your book looks so inviting. I do hope you are able to do a signing here in OKC, it would be a shame to miss your hometown, and I would love to meet you. I was browsing your Flicker pages and noticed your pics of Crescent Market. I do love that store, too. I was there twice myself last week.

ooh i liked persepolis too!i was INSPIRED by your previous post on celeriac, except…alas, it is not in any supermarket near me. :'(but maybe i can get a totally amazingly awesome book on march 3rd instead! one can hope…

We just make celery root soup the other day and it was great. I have to admit it was the first time I’d ever eating celery root. But it was so great. This sounds very tasty too.Congrats on the book! That is so awesome!

You mention three things either near or dear to me here (ah, I’m rhyming. Sort of.) PSH is a cherished gem in my neck of the woods, as he grew up here in Fairport, NY, right up yonder from my little nook. Mayo is something I only eat if I’ve made it myself!–and I almost posted the recipe today along with my tuna salad recipe, but I wound up posting neither, so I’m glad you did. And lastly, but in no certain order, I NEVER remember the plots of the books I’ve read. I often forget the characters names, too, so much so that I’ve made it a point to repeat them to mself over and over again and hold on to some remnant of their story even if only for the sake of me feeling like I’m not losing my mind. But a good read IS such an escape, and I’m certain all of those stories are in there, nestled in the deep recesses of your relaxed brain, which may or may not be at the forefront of your life. Thus the forgetting!

Have you read Julia Child’s My Life in France? I imagine so, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend it. It’s a really, really warm, conversational book with pictures taken by her husband. I was able to find an inexpensive used copy in hardback from Amazon.

The cookbook looks great! I hope you’ll be having a signing here in town. Maybe even at Secret Garden, or even better, the Ballard Farmer’s Market! But I really wanted to extend an additional congragulations on Brandon’s mention by restaurant reviewer Leslie Kelly in the Seattle PI. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/394942_dining07.htmlI almost posted a response asking “Hey Leslie, do you KNOW who his wife is?” but I figured if she doesn’t, she’ll know soon enough!

The Tenth Muse sounds fascinating. I’m thinking about getting “Hometown Appetites” by Kelly Alexander and Cynthia Harris. I heard about it on NPR over the Christmas holidays and it is about one of America’s first food riders – Clementine Paddleford. She worked for the New York Herald Tribune from 1936 to 1966 and contributed widely to other publications. She traveled all over America learning and explaining how we eat. Her book published in 1960 “How America Eats” is one of the most requested Out of Print books even after all these years. She seems to me to be an interesting character and well worth learning more about. I’ll write about it on SeattleRainydaybookblog.

I’ve had the book ordered for months now. I can’t wait to own it. I love your recipes and try almost every one, and intend to try the others sometime and think it is so awesome that you even used one of your photos on the cover. Make sure Portland, OR is on your list or I will track you down and get you to sign my book in Seattle!

Hi! I pre-ordered your book and can’t wait to get it. I loved the 10th Muse by Judith, it was so good. I also enjoyed “The Sharper Your Knife, The Less you Cry” by Kathleen Flinn, I recommend it if you haven’t read it yet. I hope your tour brings you to NYC! Happy New Year!

Hooray! I cannot wait for your book to come out, and I love the cover. I live in Portland, and ever since I read your honeymoon post, have been determined to visit the boathouse someday.The analogy of celery root to Phillip Seymour Hoffman is priceless and dead on! –Juree

Congratulations on your book! I’ve just started reading your blog, and I feel there’s so much I need to catch up on. I love it so far, though! I just wanted to let you know that I saw a review for your book in Publisher’s Weekly, and it was glowingly positive. In fact, it was a starred review. Great job! I can’t wait to see the book!

Just tried raw celery root for the first time, mixed with apple and an apple cider viniagrette. Absolutely delicious.I was just going to let you know that the cover was up on amazon a few days ago, and you beat me to it. Congratulations!!

Molly — please have your publisher schedule a visit to Schwartz’s bookstores in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! I will bring throngs of people who desire food enlightenment but have no clue where to find it! Congratulations on the birth of your book and your restaurant. Thanks for inspiring so many of us! Best — Toby

Oooooh, celery root. you can make fantastic mashed potatoes by substituting one third on up to one half half of the potatoes for mashed boiled celery root with of course lots of butter. if you love the taste of celery root (clearly you do) you won’t ever make mashed potatoes the same way ever again. hope you try it! love the book cover and looking forward to the book. (~a new friend of Ivy’s)

I have a childhood memory of my mother making a celery root salad. I must sadly confess that, in all my adult life, I have never prepared this.Thank you for the reminder. I will prepare your recipe with sweet thoughts of mom.

I am so excited about your book, Molly! I am requesting it for my birthday (if I can wait that long…it’s on April 14). Also, I love how you can take the most unassuming foods and remind us of the quality of something pure and natural.

Congratulations Molly on your book. It’s a lovely image for the cover. I can’t wait to order and read it.Your post made me think about going to a local coffee shop every morning to get coffee and a bagel. My boss always asked for a bagel with cream cheese and celery seasoning. I thought this an odd request, but the local shop went out and bought it just so my boss could get what he asked for. Other than celery w/ peanut butter I hadn’t thought of a dish like this. I can’t wait to try to make it.

this is a clear example of the cream rising to the top. yours was one of the first food blogs i read, and is still one of my very favorites. i can’t wait for your book!ps my grandmother, <>mamanini<> as we used to call her, used to put jasmine petals in her bra. i adore that image in persepolis!

Love your blog, and your column in Bon Apetite (I subscribed to it after my gift subscription ran out just so I could read your column).Regarding celery root – I’ve been hearing it mentioned (and praised) a lot lately. Must be the new “in” vegetable. Anyway, does it taste like the stalks? I really HATE celery, so if it does, I don’t have to bother trying it.

Molly,I couldn’t agree more with your description of celeri root remoulade. It is so, so simple and one would think by the looks of it, so, so pedestrian. Au contraire! I remember eating many a small plate during visits to Paris and wishing for seconds, and thirds…. It is one of the most delicious salads I have ever, ever eaten. Thanks for reminding me!Congratulations on your book deal. I love reading your column in Bon Appetit as well!

My husband, who is from Poland, makes a similar salad. In addition to celery, his salad includes other root vegetables such as carrots, beets, and potatoes. I also love a little bit (or a lot) of celery root in mashed potatoes. Congratulations on your book! I can’t wait to read it.

It was a pleasure to belatedly read of your honeymoon in my neck of the woods. The next time you’re in Victoria, come by for a pan of my wife’s < HREF="http://littleacorn.typepad.com/little_acorn/2008/10/nanaimo-bars.html" REL="nofollow">Nanaimo Bars <>(the best in the world).It’s the least we can do – you introduced us to Aunt Bill’s. We’ll be making it a Christmas tradition from now on.Congratulations on the book!

hello my lovely, lovely friend.It just now hit me that I didn’t comment here on your book cover, because my head was full of… stuff last Monday. Which is not an excuse.It looks wonderful. It really does. I love it. I remember the way it looked last summer, and what we talked about, and some of the possible alterations with the cover. This? This is just right. I am so utterly thrilled for you. And I can’t wait to hug you and laugh and have another picnic. xoxo

your book looks fantastic, molly! it is so wonderful to see one of your photos on the cover, too… that makes it all the more special. i can’t wait to read it.and i hope that your book tour brings you through new york!! 🙂xo

ah yes, dear old celeri-remoulade, with a slice of home-made pate and some crusty homemade country bread and some homemade wine… oops? cross out homemade wine. But yeah, so many of the table pleasures are the simple things made with care!I grew celeriac for the first time this year and learned that (1)it must be watered (unlike, say, tomatoes!) (2) it must be harvested before hard frost (unlike say, carrots!). Live and learn.Sylviehttp://www.LaughingDuckGardens.com/ldblog.php/PS: I often put finely chopped cornichons in my celeri-remoulade.

My most heart-felt congratulations on accomplishing something most of us only dream of doing. And you get a book tour, as well? Bonus!Your book cover makes me want to curl up with a nice cup of Pike’s Market Spice tea.Celery root sounds like the perfect escape from my holiday chocolate binges.

Okay, so I read your blog religiously, on Tuesdays, saving it until I come home from a long day of begging high school kids to care about the beauty of the French language. I never comment, but couldn’t resist today as I was reading back through old posts (looking for butterscotch cookies). I managed to overlook that you referenced my favorite scene from Persepolis in this post! I just had to tell you that it made my day. Thanks!

Hi Molly, I love your site and your book and I happen to leave a comment under the auspices of celery root which I find kind of funny cause I'm not particularly fond of the gnarly veggie. I just stashed the salad in the fridge. I took the liberty of adding some grated apple, despite loud protests from the mayo and the mustard and the yoghurt… I'm writing to test the waters further, should I expect your protests too:)

oh goody! i am so glad to have found your blog..i own a small bookstore and bought your book SIMPLY for the cover, which i adore beyond measure!!suffice it to say that i have boon a cooking madwoman, which my children mind NOT AT ALL! but i JUST this morning got to the page in your book which is all about the maple syrup….and guess what?would you and your lovely spouse like some MORE SYRUP FROM Putney Vermont? I just so happen to live here, I own Putney Books and know every sugarhouse around…I would be more than happy to send you a care package from time to time!and please know, i love your book. it might even be possible that my whole family loves you!just let me….Putney syrup is just the post office away!